


Purple Umbrellas

by RissyNicole



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Characters are the same age as in the series/comics, Fluff, Gaz cares, Gen, Just a semi-weird exchange between two semi-weird individuals, ZADF, ZaGf, just in her own way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26965831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RissyNicole/pseuds/RissyNicole
Summary: When Zim takes shelter from an unexpected rain storm, he runs into Dib's sister, Gaz. Neither are exactly thrilled to see each other.First-prize winner of a one-shot writing contest on the Moo-Ping 10 Discord server, October 2020.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 66





	Purple Umbrellas

**Author's Note:**

>   
> Art created and owned by Opalite. Full-sized image can be found here. 

The sky had been somewhat overcast since he'd left the base early in the morning. Not a problem in and of itself, especially when it was still so warm outside. Besides, precipitation hadn't been in the local weather forecast today, so there shouldn't be any cause for concern.

Even so, hearing the first low rumbles of thunder in the distance were enough to cause Zim's heartrate to spike as he traipsed down the concrete steps outside the skool and immediately beelined to the sidewalk.

Halfway home, he felt the first sizzling raindrop pelt the back of his neck, and his pace involuntarily picked up. If he could only make it home before it really started coming down…

No such luck.

Within seconds, a larger one plopped onto his forehead. Then another on his cheek. And another. And another.

Raindrops began to speckle the sidewalk in front of him, gradually turning the ashy white concrete gray. Then, as if a floodgate had been opened, it began to pour.

Zim gave a sharp gasp, which was punctuated by a blinding burst of lighting up ahead. He broke into a run, glancing around frantically for some place to take cover.

Up ahead at the crossroads, he could just barely make out the edge of the awning attached to the entrance of the public library. Without a further thought, he picked up speed and darted towards it.

A crack of thunder erupted right as he made it to Burgess Lane, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin.

He sprinted around the corner of the street towards the sweet sanctuary, blind to everything else around him. As he did so, however, he smacked headlong into another person already standing there.

A surprised grunt just barely made it to his antennae as Zim toppled backwards.

The grunt was quickly followed by a sharp, familiar voice. "Hey! Watch where you're going! Oh... it's you." The latter was said in a slightly lower, irritated tone.

Zim recovered enough to look up at the unenthused face of Dib's little sister, who seemed less fazed than him, but visibly cross, nonetheless. A single library book had fallen open onto the pavement, and she bent down to pick it up while Zim got to his feet.

"Dib-sibling..." he greeted snidely. The rain began to pick up even more on the awning above them, and he had to repress the urge to shudder at the sound.

Gaz unzipped her backpack, first depositing the library book inside of it, and then fishing around for a few seconds. She finally came away with her GameSlave, followed closely by a small purple umbrella. As she straightened up, she flashed Zim a vague look of acknowledgment. "Aren't you supposed to be following my brother around or something?"

Zim scratched at a spot beneath his wig that still itched painfully from the rain. "I could very easily ask you the same thing."

Gaz's face twisted up just slightly. "Shows what you know. I don't 'follow him around.' I get dragged on his annoying little stakeouts against my will."

"Well, I don't follow him around, either," Zim countered. "I do the opposite. I try to avoid him… Where is he, anyway?" He peered over Gaz's shoulder towards the library, brow furrowing at the sudden prospect of Dib emerging from the double doors.

"Calm down, moron. He's not in there. He got detention for sneaking onto the roof of the skool again."

Zim's eyes narrowed. "And why would he do that?"

Gaz shrugged. "Something about picking up 'high frequency alien radio waves.'"

Zim scoffed. "Heh. No wonder everyone thinks he's crazy."

Gaz's expression didn't change, but she surveyed Zim for a beat before responding. "I said he was annoying, not crazy."

Zim gave this some consideration, then made a noise in the back of his throat. "He _has_ proven himself to be a worthy adversary... but don't tell him I said that!"

"Hey, whatever keeps him happy and you both out of my way," she muttered, shrugging again. She walked past Zim and towards the edge of the awning where it cut off. She looked out at the rain, which was showing no signs of letting up, then back at him.

Then, so casually, Zim didn't quite comprehend what was happening, she swung her umbrella forward and held it out to him.

He eyed it as if it were a venomous snake, involuntarily taking a step back.

"Well? Are you going to take it?" An aggravated edge crept into her otherwise monotonous tone, and it was enough to prompt Zim to take the umbrella. He held it in his hands helplessly for a few seconds.

Gaz made some noise between an exasperated sigh and a growl before snatching it away from him. She popped it open and then handed it back.

Zim held it over himself, then looked back at her with his eyes narrowed. "What kind of trick is this, Gaz-creature?"

She had already opened her GameSlave back up and was in the process of switching out the game cartridges. "Do you want me to take it back?" she asked testily, not looking up at him.

"No." his response was almost instantaneous.

Confused, Zim walked out into the open again, this time shielded by the purple umbrella. Just as he was about to turn his back on her, though, she piped up again. "Hey!"

He whipped around, eyes wide.

"Don't forget to give it back tomorrow. It's supposed to rain again, and I actually want to use it."

Zim's face twisted into a scowl. "Lies! The weather drone said it's supposed to 70 degrees and sunny!"

Gaz simply shook her head. The screen to her GameSlave lit up, illuminating her face against the semi-darkness of the stormy sky. "No. It isn't. Dib hacked into your TV the other day and swapped out all the local news channels for channels in Phoenix, Arizona."

Zim's face instantly dropped into one of shock.

Gaz turned her attention from him to her game as he stood rooted to the spot. His face seemed to undergo several stages of anger before he finally found it in him to turn and stomp off down the sidewalk, cursing Dib's name as he went.

Gaz glanced up just as he turned the next corner and out of sight, the top of the purple umbrella bobbing over the neighbors' fences.

She looked back down at her game, biding the time before Dib could join her, armed with his own umbrella and what would undoubtedly be a novel's length rant about the paranormal. It was just her luck he'd be more than willing to share them both.

**Author's Note:**

> As stated in the summary, this one-shot was an entry for a writing contest that was hosted by the Moo-Ping 10 Discord server in October of 2020. I am very honored to have won first place in the contest, and I am incredibly thankful to Opalite, who organized the contest and drew the cover image for this story as part of my winning prize.
> 
> This fic was written for writing prompt #7: "Character A and Character B both need to take shelter from a sudden rainstorm, and, as luck would have it, they end up in the same place. They're two characters who don't even get along on the best of days, and their discomfort quickly spurs them into a full-blown argument. (identities of A and B open to interpretation)"
> 
> In this story, Zim and Gaz don't necessarily have a "full-blown argument," but it is an interaction between two characters who aren't super cozy around each other. For the most part, this is a short and fluffy read for those who want some lighthearted IZ content.


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